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Liam walked over and turned off the stove, placing the last of the pancakes on a plate. “No matter how this plays out, remember we’re in this together.”
I smiled weakly.
With renewed determination, Mason picked up his phone. “I’ll call him now. I think it’s best that I only talk about my relationship with her now. We can tell him everything else that transpired in person.”
“I think that’s best,” I said. “And we will leave out the graphic details.”
Liam and I exchanged anxious glances as Mason stepped out of the room. The next few minutes felt like hours.
The muffled sound of Mason’s voice drifted back to us occasionally. Every so often, a word or phrase would filter through, but the conversation itself remained shrouded in privacy.
Liam and I shared a look. Both of us were aware of the repercussions, and while we had given Mason the initial responsibility of breaking the news, we were far from being mere bystanders. Eric’s reaction would impact all of us profoundly.
As the minutes ticked by, Liam began pacing the room. “You think he’s taking it well?” he asked, concern lacing his voice.
“No,” I said honestly, not attempting to sugarcoat the gravity of the situation.
Mason stepped back into the room, tension evident in his posture. His face displayed a mixture of relief and apprehension.
“He’s... processing,” he began, exhaling deeply. “He’s changing his plans and will be arriving on the twenty-first instead of the twenty-third so we can talk. He wants to sit down and discuss things face to face.”
“So, we have about ten days to figure out what we are going to say to him,” I added.
Liam shifted in his chair. “What else did he say?”
Mason met his eyes. “The big brother mode activated. He made it very clear that if I ever hurt Zoey or even thought about cheating on her, our friendship would be irreparably damaged. But honestly, I was expecting that.”
I clenched my jaw, doing my best to mask my unease. “Well, that’s Eric for you. He’s always been super protective of Zoey.”
“And to be honest, I’d kick your ass if you ever hurt her or cheat on her,” Liam added.
“Right now, he thinks it’s just Zoey and me,” Mason admitted. “We’re going to need to brace ourselves for when he learns about all of us.”
“What are we saying right now?” I asked. “Is this going to continue when we all go back to Florida and resume our normal lives?”
Before we could delve further into that, the soft sound of footsteps echoed from the staircase. Zoey, hair tousled from sleep, had a serene look on her face. She entered the kitchen and yawned, stretching her arms.
“Good morning,” she mumbled, making a beeline for the coffeemaker. “Where are our guests?”
“They left,” I told her.
“I can’t say I’m upset about that,” Zoey said. After pouring herself a cup, she glanced our way, sensing the tension. “What’s going on?”
“Eric knows about you and Mason,” Liam said.
“Shit.” Zoey looked deflated. “How?”
“Vivienne,” Mason responded.
Zoey’s eyes flashed with frustration and disbelief. “You can’t be serious.”
Mason’s shoulders sagged slightly. “I truly wish I were joking.” He stepped forward and enveloped her in a comforting embrace. “I talked to Eric and told him how much I care about you. He’s adjusting his trip to arrive earlier—on the twenty-first—and we will talk face-to-face then. Bodhi, Liam, and I agreed we’d break the full truth about what happened then.”
Pulling out of Mason’s hold, Zoey sank into a chair, rubbing her temples as if to dispel a headache. “Eric always has to make things complicated.”
I slid into the seat beside her, letting my fingers brush her arm gently, attempting to offer some solace. “He’s protective, that’s all.”
“But what if your relationship with Eric is irreparable after he learns about this? I can’t help but feel guilty that our little fling could ruin your lifelong friendship.”
